The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-04


is part of a magnitude. Infnity is made up
of intinitesimals, Great things an aggrega-
tion of small things Bethlehem manger
pulling on n star III the eastern sky. One
book in a drenched sailors mouth the evan
geliZation of a multitude. One boat OF
papyrus on the Nile freighteo with events
for all ages The fate of Christendom in a
basket let down from a window on the
wall. What you do, do well. If you make
rope make it strong and true, for you
know not how much may depend on your
workmanship. n you fashion boat let 1T
be waterproof, for you know not who may
sail in it. If you put Bible in the trunk
of your boy as he goes from home, let it be
heard in your prayers, for 1T may have a
mission as far-reaching as the book which
the sailor carried in his teeth to the Pitcairn
beach. The plainest mans life is an island
between two notwithstanding past rip
pling against his shoulders, eternity TO come
touching his brow. The casual, the ac-
cidental, that which merely happened so,
are parts of a great plan, and the rope that
let's the fugitive apostle from the Damascus
wall is the cable that holds to its moorng
the ship of the Church in the northeast
storm of centuries.
Again, notice unrecognized and unrecortl-
ed services Who spun that ropef Who
tied it to the basket Who steadied the
illustrious preacher as he stepped into it,
Who relaxed not a muscle of the arm or dis
missed an anxious look from his face until
the basket touched the ground and dis
chat ged its magnificent cargoa Not one of
their names has come to us, but there was
no work done that day in Damascus or in all
the earth compared with the Importance Of
their work. What if they had in the agita-
tion tied "A knot that could slip What il the
sound of the mob at the loor had led them
to say: Paul must take care of himself,
and we will take care of ourselves No, mol
They held the rope, and in doing so did more
for the Christian church than any thousand
of lis will ever accomplish But God knows
and has made eternal record of their
undertaking. And they know. How exultant
they must have felt when they read his let
ters to the Romans, TO the Corinthians, to
the Galatians, to the Ephesians, TO the
Philippians, to the Colossians, to the Thes-
salonians, to Timothy, to Titus, TO Phile-
mon, to the Hebrews, and when they heard
how he walked out of prison with the earth
quake unlocking the door for him. and took
command of the Alexandrian corn-ship
when the sailors were nearly scared to
death, and preached sermon that nearly
shook Felix off his Judgment seat. | hear
the men and women who helped him down
through the window and over the wall talk
ing in private over the matter, and saying:
''How glad | am that we effected that
rescue! In coming times others may get the
glory of Pauls work, but no one shall rob
us of the satisfaction of knowing that we
held the rope"
Once for thirty-six hours we expected
every moment to go TO the bottom of the
ocean. The waves struck through the sky
lights and rushed down into the hold of the
ship and Missed against the boilers. 1t was
an awful time; but by the blessing of God
and the faithfulness of the men In charge
we came out Of the cyclone and we arrived
at home Each one before leaving the ship
thanked Capt Andrews. | do not think
there was a man or woman that went off
that ship without thanking Capt
Andrews, and when years after / heard of
his death was impelled TO write letter Of
coincidence TO his family in Liverpool.
Everybody recognized the goodness, the
courage, the kindness of Capt. Andrews,
but it occurs to me now that we never
thanked the engineer. He stood away down
in the darkness amid the kissing furnaces
doing his whole duty. Nobody thanked
the engineer, but God recognized his hero
ism and his continuance and his fidelity,
and there will be just as high reward for the
engineer who worked out of sight, as for
the Captain who stood on the bridge Of the
ship in the midst of the bowling tempset
There are said to be about sixty-nine
thousand ministers Of religion in this coun-
try. About fifty thousand | warrant came
from early homes which had to struggle for
the necessaries of life The sons Of rich
bankers and merchants generally become
bankers and merchants. The most Of those
who become ministers are the sons Of those
who had terrific struggle TO get their every
day bread The collegiate and theological
education Of that son took every luxury
from the parental table for eight years.
The other children were more scantily APP
parelled. The son at college every little
while got a bundle from home. In 1t were
the socks that mother had knit, sitting up
late at night, her sight not as good as once
it was. And there also were some delcacles
from the sisters hand for the vor'a-
cious appetite of a hungry student The
father swung the heavy cradle through the
dewing every step Of the way and then
sitting down under the cherry tree at noon
thinking 10 himself: ~ am fearfully tired
but it will pay If can once see that boy
through college, and IL can know that be
will be preaching the Gospel after | am
dead" The younger children want to
know why they can't have this and that as
others do, and the mother says: BE patient,
my children, until your brother graduates,
and then you shall have more luxurieS, but
we must see that boy through"
The years 20 by and the son has been Or
dained and is preaching the glorious Gospel,
and a great revival comes, and souls by
scores and hundreds accept the Gospel from
the lips of that young preacher, and father
and mother, quite old now, are visiting the
son at the village parsonage, and at the close
of a Sabbath of mighty blessing, father
and mother retire 10 their room. the son
lighting the way and asking them il he can
do anything % make them more comfort
able, saying If they want anything in the
night Just TO knock on the wall. Aud then,
ali alone, father and mother talk over the
gracious influences of the day, and say:
well II was worth all we went through TO
educate that boy. IL was hard pull, but
we held on till the work was done. The
world may not know IL, but, mother, we
held the rope, didn't wef' And the voice,
trcmulous with joyful emotion, responded: /:
''Yes father. we held the rope. | feel my
work is done. Now, Lord, lcttest thou thy
servant depart Ia peace, for mine eyes have
seen thy salvation" "Pshawm says the
father. ~ never felt 70 much like living In
my life as now / want 20 see what that
fellow l. going to do, he has begun so we'll
Something occurs 10 me quite personal
was the youngest of a large family OF
children. My parents were neither rich
nor poor: four OF the sons wanted collegiate
education. and four obtained it, but not
without great home struggle. We never
were DENYING themselves TO effect this, but
looked tired. | don't think they ever got
rested until they laid down i'm the Somer-
vile cemetery. Mother would sit down in
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